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Everyone loves a good buzzword. Or loves to hate it, at least.
Do you cringe when you hear any of these?
Synergy.
Ping.
Seamless.
Before these were words you’d find on a “Business Buzzword Bingo” card making fun of fake innovators and out-of-touch CEOs, they were fresh new words that meant something unique and captivating.
When words get overused, they lose their meaning.
And in marketing, we’re dangerously close to entering that phase with everyone’s favorite word: Authenticity.
I get it. Being authentic in your marketing is good. There’s no argument there.
But when I think of truly transformational marketing, authenticity is only the first step.
It always has to be paired with empathy. It has to have a real and deep understanding of who the content is being made for, what they care about, and how the content addresses their real problems.
And it has to be given without expectation.
That act of giving without expectation has a word: Kindness.
So I’d like to see us replace a focus on authenticity in marketing with a focus on kindness instead.
Related: How Financial Advisors Can Be More Inclusive in Their Marketing